Song: Ready to be myself – Nightcore (David Dunn)

I don't hear the door open to the room but I do feel someone trying to wake me up. "Sir...he is waiting for you at the breakfast table...and he doesn't like to wait on no one...I suggest you get up now."

I roll over and stretch out. The sun brightens up the whole room and I have to force my eyes open. What was that like not even two three hours of sleep...shit seriously. Phillip glares at me so I reluctantly get up and follow him into the house. My hands feel all sweaty and I can feel them trembling. I don't know if I am ready to face this guy. What does he want from me?

Now I get a good look at man at the table. He is in fact completely bald. He has a light scar on the right side of his face. He is well dressed and I bet that shirt alone was a good hundred or more. He looks up and gestures for me to sit down...so I sit down."Marian...fixed breakfast...please help yourself."

I look at the food sitting on the table and I feel like its Christmas...there are plates of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, and toast, not to mention juice and milk and even a pot of coffee. They all sit down and eat as well. Before I even put the first bite in my mouth he stops me. "What do you say?"

I have no clue what he is talking about as I look around the table the only thing that comes to mind is thank you so that is what I say, "Thank you...sir."

He smiles. "Everyone this is Atticus. He will be joining us for now on, my new recruit." He then goes around the table to introduce everyone. "You met Phillip last night as well as Ashton." I nod my head at both of them. Ashton is his driver, finally a name to a face. "This is the lovely Marian she can get you anything you want to eat or drink." She is older than him and it shows for the shades of grey in her hair and the fine wrinkles that line her face.

"That is Marcus, my trainer...now your trainer as well." He gestures to this big black bald man and I hate to know if I ever have to go up against him. My trainer...what the hell am I getting myself into here. There is something about him that scares the shit out of me. I turn to look back up at the Cleaner when he says his name, "and I'm Zane... a lot of people know me as the Cleaner."

I take everything in and I really don't know what to say. The only thing that comes to mind is to thank him again. "Thank you again sir...for letting me stay here." My whole body trembles with a little fear.

"You are more than welcome...I just hope you are not a disappointment to me." He says it like he is already thinking that I will be. Hell I am to everyone else so why not him as well. I don't know exactly what he means by that but I try to swallow but there is a small knot in the back of my throat. I pick up my glass of juice and take a sip before eating. I feel like I haven't eaten in years. I fill up and once he is done he stands up singling everyone else that they should be done as well. Everyone gets up and clears the table. He looks down at me. "Come with me."

I look around to see what everyone else is doing and they all go about their way, so that leaves me alone with him. I stand up and follow him into his office. "Have a seat."

I look around and it is pretty impressive. This guy must be loaded.I sit down and he walks around to the other side of his desk. He pulls out a file and looks through it, then back up at me. "Why should I help you?"

"Excuse me...I don't understand...you asked me to come here." I say in confusion. I place my hands underneath my legs to hold them down from shaking. I don't need him to see how nervous I am...even though I can feel little beads of sweat on my forehead. Shit...he will see that I am weak.

"Ahhh...yes...why is a young boy like yourself out on the streets with no place to go...where are your parents?"

"I was kicked out. Not that it's any of your business but ..."

He cuts me off, "It is my business if you are going to be living here...says here that your father died a few years ago...your mom has been married twice since then and this new guy...your step-father...Mark...I take it the two of you don't get along and that is why you are out on your own?"

What...he has been spying on me...digging up my life. "How the fuck do you know all of that?"

"You need to watch that mouth of yours...this is your first warning." He looks up at me with this evil glare and something about him tells me that I need to shut my mouth.

I let out a huff of air. "Yes...his name is Mark. We don't exactly get along."

"He is mean to your mom. Why do you let him hurt her?"

"Seriously man look at me...I can't do anything about it." I raise my boney arms and let them fall back down into my lap. If he only knew that man has been kicking my ass since the day he moved in...hell my own mother doesn't even give a shit.

"And those guys...do they beat you up every day as well?" I think back to the night before, Tony and his dogs on me, hitting me like a punching bag."You need to man up...take back your life."

"Life..." I let out a small laugh while rolling my eyes. "I have no life. I am nothing, just a piece of shit. A worthless piece of shit that can't stand up to anyone because I am weak. I can't even take care of myself. Look I don't know why you want me here...I don't know what I could ever do to help you out or even pay you back for last night or even eating earlier...I have no way to repay you."

"I can turn your life around...if you let me."

"Why would you do that...you don't even fu...know me?" I try to catch myself from cussing.

"There is something about you kid...I think I can help you out...in return you will work for me. When I say jump you jump...when I tell you do something I want you to do it before I even have to ask. I need a new partner to help me with cleaning. It's not the best job in the world...but it pays well. You can live here in the room Phillip escorted you to last night. You will be paid by living here free...with food and anything else you may need. I will say you won't have to live under that bridge again or starve."

I think this guy has really lost it; not only that but he must have been watching me for the past few nights. Creep.  Why in the hell would I want to be like his slave. His words play back in my head, 'When I say jump you jump...' I look up and he is waiting on my to say something. "Are you serious...you got to be kidding me...and how would I ever pay you back?"

He lets out a low laugh. "Like I said...you do everything I tell you to do...no questions...no if and or buts...no complaints. So are you in?"

I look around the room and maybe this all sounds way to good to be true. A part of me still wonders if all of this is a sick joke, maybe he is waiting on me to falter and then he will pin me down and strip me of dignity.